Prof. Dr Marinkovic said that today’s roundtable is a continuation of the debate launched at the IPU Assembly in Doha and is an excellent opportunity to examine the manner of implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. “The IPU Assembly is an invaluable platform for the exchange of experiences and challenges parliaments face in the process of implementing different international mechanisms”, said the Deputy Speaker. He added that the suppression and control of weapons has been thoroughly discussed at IPU assemblies, enabling the parliamentarians to discuss how to contribute to world peace and security.

Prof. Dr Marinkovic explained that the application of different decisions relating to arms control is today more important than in terms of achieving agreements on disarmament and non-proliferation of strategic weapons. According to him, multilateral indiscriminate disarmament agreements like the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction play a key role in strengthening overall security. Prof. Dr Marinkovic explained that it is vital for parliaments to actively monitor the implementation of arms control treaties and other UN resolutions relating to it to ensure their efficient implementation.

The Deputy Speaker stressed that the Chemical Weapons Convention is the most effective international mechanism aimed at eliminating a whole category of weapons of mass destruction. A full and effective implementation of the Convention has a significant impact on the improvement of global security and is crucial for the prevention of abuse of chemical weapons. To that end, the parliaments play a key role in drafting an adequate legislative framework, accompanied by the necessary supervision, preventive measures and awareness raising methods.

Prof. Dr Vladimir Marinkovic reminded the attending that Serbia had signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2000 and is fully dedicated to its implementation.